Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting - by Lauren

Here it is! My commencement post for the The Kitchen. I thought it would be apropos to start things off with a celebratory recipe dedicated to the blog’s kick-off. This line of thought led me to the idea of sharing with you a recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

These cupcakes are a prime example of the types of desserts I like to make and post on my blog, Healthy Food For Living. I have a near insatiable sweet tooth, but have come to appreciate the use of unrefined sweeteners - and less of them - in dessert recipes. In other words, in place of, say, 1 cup of sugar called for in a recipe, I will use ½ to ¾ cup of evaporated cane juice, Sucanat, or Turbinado sugar. Other natural sweeteners I keep on hand are Grade B pure maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, honey, and Medjool dates.

In case you are unfamiliar with some of these natural, unrefined sweeteners, I will discuss a few of them in further detail.

Evaporated cane juice is simply a less-processed form of cane sugar. Less processing means more nutrients are retained, and therefore evaporated cane juice is slightly darker in color than granulated sugar. Evaporated cane juice works well as a substitute for regular white granulated sugar in cookies, muffins, cakes, pies, and ice creams.

Another less-refined product of sugar cane is turbinado sugar. Also referred to as natural brown sugar, turbinado sugar consists of large golden-hued crystals. I love to sprinkle turbinado sugar on the top of quick breads and muffins before baking for a delicately sweet and crunchy crust.

Sucanat is pure dried sugar cane, and is therefore even less processed that both evaporated cane juice and turbinado sugar. Since sucanat retains its natural molasses flavor, it is a fantastic unrefined substitute for brown sugar. Out of all the sweeteners derived from sugar cane, sucanat ranks highest in nutritional value.

Now we’ll move on to the liquid sweeteners mentioned above. I’m assuming that you are familiar with honey and maple syrup, but I do have a suggestion for you: splurge on the expensive varieties! Grade B pure maple syrup is pricey, but the flavor is incomparable to other types.

Agave nectar has been gaining a lot of attention over the past few years. Derived from the agave plant, (yes, the same plant from which tequila comes), this syrupy sweetener has a more delicate flavor than honey, but is every bit as delicious. Agave nectar dissolves in both warm and cold liquids, rendering it ideal for sweetening iced tea and other cold beverages.

Brown rice syrup is quickly becoming one of my favorite unrefined liquid sweeteners. Consisting only of brown rice that has been cooked, strained, and reduced to a thick and dark syrup, it has a more mellow sweetness than the previously mentioned liquid sweeteners. I especially like to use brown rice syrup when making brown rice pudding.

Soft and plump Medjool dates have become a staple in my pantry. Truly nature’s candy, they are fantastic eaten plain, but also work wonderfully as a sweetener. I stir chopped Medjool dates into oatmeal, quick bread and muffin batters, ice cream bases, and cookie dough. I’ve recently become enamored with making dried fruit and nut “truffles” with dates and a variety of nuts. Check out the recipes page on my blog (www.healthyfoodforliving.com) for specific recipes!

Ok, back to that cupcake recipe. Carrot cake is my hands-down favorite type of cake. There are countless versions, so feel free to add in raisins, pineapple pieces, coconut, and/or nuts to the batter of these cupcakes. I stuck with a basic recipe from Ellie Krieger, which I adapted to be even healthier.

The combination of whole wheat pastry and all-purpose flour yields a tender and light cupcake; unsweetened applesauce and just a touch of canola oil ensure that the cupcakes stay moist. Sucanat lends molasses undertones to the cupcakes, and Grade B pure maple syrup delicately sweetens the cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from Ellie Krieger

yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil, such as canola
• 1/2 cup Sucanat
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup finely grated peeled carrots, about 2 medium (A microplane grater works best)
• 4 oz 1/3-less-fat neufchatel cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2-4 Tbsp Grade B pure maple syrup (2 was sweet enough for me, but adjust according to your palate)
• 1/8 tsp pure maple extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or coat with canola oil cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients (through ground ginger).
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, and eggs. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla extract. Stir in the grated carrots.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir just until fully incorporated.
6. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, maple syrup, and maple extract using an electric mixer, until smooth.
10. Frost cupcakes once they have completely cooled.

These cupcakes are moist, lightly sweetened, and beautifully spiced. The rich maple cream cheese frosting is – quite literally – the icing on the cake, and truly makes these healthy cupcakes taste decadent! 

If you have any questions/comments regarding this recipe or the discussion of natural sweeteners, please don’t hesitate to email me at foodliving@gmail.com.